Child-directed TV advertising of high-sugar breakfast cereals has been linked to higher intake of those sugary cereal brands among preschoolers, a study conducted by researchers at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center concluded.
Advanced school nutrition policies programs can strongly influence a child’s eating habits and body mass index (BMI), a study led by the Yale School of Public Health concluded.
Building a kids brand can get sticky, especially when the market is full of products that typically fall into two broad buckets: conventional products crowded with mascots, superheroes, and cartoon characters; or the stripped-down, simpler look of the...
Health advocacy groups have urged schools to reject a final rule from the Trump Administration that they claim reverses hard-won progress on sodium reduction and whole grain consumption, and “continue their commitment to serve healthier foods on our kids’...
Giant Food, a regional grocery chain in the Washington D.C. area, has invested $175m to remodel 24 of its existing stores and open a new store location over the next two years.
Within the adults snack bar category consumers can find everything from cold-pressed chilled bars made with whole fruits and vegetables to a myriad of clean label alternatives of protein bars. But when it came to snack bars for kids, the options were...
Children's dietary patterns are strongly established by age two once the child is introduced to solid foods, so how can parents make the most of that crucial and brief time period to make sure their children are introduced to the right foods?
'We’re not marketing Gimmies based on parental claims, we’re marketing it based on what kids want'
Chobani is hoping to unlock an incremental growth opportunity in the sluggish yogurt category with the launch of Gimmies, a dedicated brand supported by a new set of characters designed to appeal to kids aged five to nine, who it says are not well-served...
Marketers of children’s products have a difficult task of balancing the different wants and needs of parents and their kids, but for Nom Noms World Food this challenge doubled as an opportunity to set itself apart with globally-inspired recipes and innovative...
Contrary to the popular belief that infants are “perfectly cooked buns coming out the oven,” newborns are far from fully formed, and as a result continue to grow at an “unprecedented rate” for the first few years of life – making what and how they eat...
While they feel pressure to make home cooked meals for their kids, many working parents don’t have the time or energy to do this night after night, says Santiago Merea, cofounder and CEO at direct-to-consumer baby and kids’ ‘ready-to-make’ food brand...
While the kids’ beverages market is dominated by some industry heavyweights, from Capri Sun to Minute Maid, there is room in the category for a new wave of brands that resonate with Millennial Moms, says Ashi Jelinek, founder and CEO at KidsLuv, one of...
If you didn't make it to Chicago last week for the FoodNavigator-USA FOOD FOR KIDS summit, you missed a truly awesome ensemble of academics, industry experts, health advocates, and our first parents’ panel, covering everything from the infant gut...
The opening night of FoodNavigator-USA's inaugural FOOD FOR KIDS summit opened with a consumer panel, as parents shared what foods and beverages they give their kids, what they look for on food labels, and where they eat out with their children.
'In the US we have this view of what ‘kid food’ is, which is very different from what it is in other countries ...'
It’s time to stop blaming parents and accept that the food environment has to change if we are going to improve kids’ diets, says CSPI VP nutrition Dr Margo Wootan, who told delegates at the FoodNavigator-USA FOOD FOR KIDS summit that trying to ensure...
As parents become more aware of the importance of the developing gut microbiome in their infants and children there will be opportunities for prebiotics, says ingredients supplier Beneo.
Food and beverage products that communicate a clear functional health benefit, sustainability story, explore alternative protein sources, or leverage technology to shorten the distance between a recipe and finished meal, are just some of the trends to...
Products made and marketed for children are undergoing a renaissance as parents look for options that deliver convenience and taste but don’t compromise on nutrition, and while industry has made substantial progress in the past decade, there is still...
Addressing a growing consumer need for organic and affordablekids products that are lower in sugar, Villager Goods’ newly-launched brand Little Villager will be hitting shelves at 300 Target locations as well as online through Target.com.
Hillhouse Capital and VMG Partners have launched a strategic partnership to co-invest in innovative consumer brands looking to expand their global reach, with the first tranche of capital going to organic baby food brand Little Freddie.
The FDA is issuing a request for information (RFI) on the prevalence and severity of sesame allergies in the US to inform possible regulatory action that would require sesame to be labeled as an allergen on packaged foods along with the ‘big eight’ (milk,...
Evaluating the gut microbiota of infants during their first two years may help identify children who are at risk of becoming overweight or obese, a recent study revealed.
At the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo in Washington, DC, manufacturers showcased a variety of new and recently launched products tailored for different diets ranging from plant-based and allergen-friendly to low-sugar and high-protein.
Bitsy’s is aiming to change the way the industry and consumers look at kids snacks, a still underdeveloped category with much potential for collaboration between the food industry and parents, according to co-founder Maggie Patton.
Being a picky eater as a child may not have to do just with taste and familiarity, but also the way food is presented and arranged on a plate, recent research from Future Consumers Lab showed.
Once Upon a Farm – a fresh baby, toddler, and kids food brand on a mission to transform the category – has closed a $20m Series B financing round led by CAVU Venture Partners.
Despite some fast food chains’ efforts to offer more nutritious food options with kids’ meals, 74% of kids still receive unhealthy drinks and/or side items with their meals when they visit one of the four largest fast food chains, a study by UConn Rudd...
From novel approaches to introducing allergens to babies, to HPP babyfood, grab n’ go granola for schools and frozen puree pops for tots, entrants to our 2018 trailblazers challenge are creating innovative new products, brands, and routes to market for...
Breastfeeding is one of the most natural and instinctual experiences shared by a baby and mother, but that doesn’t mean it is easy – and many women could use help not just from healthcare professionals and family, but also from the food and beverage industry...
For busy working parents, mealtimes can be stressful even on a good day, and if direct to consumer companies can solve this pain point with child-friendly meals that don’t require any preparation, the market opportunity is “potentially enormous,” say...
Feeding children nutritious food is a top priority for parents, and while many are confident that they are meeting this goal, their opinions vary on what they consider ‘healthy’ and what attributes they prioritize when purchasing products, according to...
New government data* shows that water accounted for 43.7% of beverage consumption among US kids aged 2-19 in the period 2013-2016, followed by milk (21.5%), soft drinks (19.9%), and 100% juice (7.3%).
The prevalence of food allergies has increased dramatically over the last 25 years, with infants and children most severely affected. But why? Is it changes in gut bacteria? The so-called ‘hygiene hypothesis’? The rising use of antibiotics? Is prevalence,...
Parents to young kids face many competing demands for their time. So is sitting down to dinner together a realistic option seven days a week? Is it a daily struggle to get kids to eat healthy?
Receiving a cease and desist letter from a multinational is clearly no cause for celebration, although in some respects it’s the “highest form of flattery,” observed one legal expert quizzed by FoodNavigator-USA over the clash between extruded snack brand...
With kids spending so much of their day in school while also being heavily influenced by their parents' eating habits, how can we get kids to make healthy food and beverage choices?
The ideal situation for families with young children is a sit-down dinner seven days a week, but in many cases that's just not realistic, says co-founder of Nurture Life Jennifer Chow.
Back-to-school season is in full swing, which means parents are stocking up on convenient lunchbox favorites, after school snacks and filling-but-fast breakfast options – helping to fuel a summer high of nearly $15.9 billion worth of fast-moving consumer...
Up until fairly recently, says Lil Mixins founder Meenal Lele, parents were being told “avoid cow’s milk until your kids are one; avoid eggs until they’re two; peanuts and tree nuts until they’re three and so on, and then, as that didn’t appear to be...
One of the secrets to the rapid growth of Raised Real’s subscription home delivery meal kits for “tiny humans” is asking its members what they need – and actually listening to their answers, according to the company’s CEO Santiago Merea.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is calling on FDA to undertake “urgently needed reforms” to the current regulatory review process for food additives to limit the risk of adverse health effects that correlate with the use of some colorings, flavorings...
Organic cereal brand Nature’s Path has struck a deal with Back to the Roots (BTTR) – best known for its indoor gardening kits – whereby it will manufacture and distribute BTTR’s organic cereals under license, helping founders Alejandro Velez and Nikhil...
‘Influencers’ are increasingly sought after by brands looking to connect with their target audience via a trusted intermediary, and pediatricians are about as trusted as they come if you’re trying to reach parents of young children. So how can you put...
Parents are monitoring sugar content in their kids’ food and beverage products more closely than ever, presenting traditional ‘kid-friendly’ categories such as juice with an opportunity to create more low- to no-sugar options.
If not everyone is convinced of the viability of the direct to consumer (D2C) meal kit delivery business, the economics of the subscription model for baby food are much more appealing, claims Square Baby, one of a new wave of D2C brands targeting babies,...
With the help of a $6.7 million investment led by AccelFoods, the founders of boxed water company RETHINK Brands hope to change how more people think about water and the beverages they send with their children to school, sports practice and other events.
The diverse and tech saavy ways of Generation Z or the iGeneration – referring to those aged 11-22 in 2018 – will have a profound impact on food and beverage formulations over the next several years, Mintel noted during a presentation at IFT 2018.
BlastZ - the latest innovation from GoGo squeeZ – is designed to attract new consumers to the burgeoning fruit squeezers category by appealing to kids that have outgrown apple sauce but are still looking for a convenient fruit snack, says associate brand...
